The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1887-06-03
COMMENCEMENT WEEK.
A Full Report of the Exercises of the
Past Week at the State Normal
School.
The Addresses, Poem, History, Mo-
del School Exercises, Etc.
THE nAocArAuRKArr SERVICE

THE BACcALAuRRATE SERVICE.
The interior of the Congregational
church presented an unusually pleasant
appearance Sunday morning, decorated
as il was with profusion of beautiful
ferns and flowers, and filed 10 its whole
capacity with an intelligent congregation
who had gathered to hear the Normal
baccalaureate sermon to be preached by
Rev. II. A. Bushnell.
The graduates occupied seats in the
front rows and behind them were seated
the Normal faculty.
The order of exercises were the same
as for the usual morning service, in
Guiding the reading of the scripture les
son, an earnest prayer by the pastor
and the singing of hymn and anthem
by the choir. Rev. Bushnell began the
baccalaureate sermon by announcing
his text, which was taken from the LIST
verse of the 18th chanter of Genisis:
"* Fear not, Hiram, l am thy er-
ceeding great re,Odrd."
The sermon was devoted to a discus
sion of the proposition that the posses
sion Of God and His friendship was the
only fitting and unsatisfactory reward to
be expected and desired. Mr. Bushnell
began by Instancing cases of great men
who had reached the goal of their am
billions and received high honors and the
plaudits of men, and still, on their death
beds, had declared life to he failure
One thus came to the conclusion that q
reward suitable to human ambition must
be as great and satisfactory as il seemed
impossible to gain; and also that the re.
ward must be beyond the reach of al
enemies and must be offered by power
that was able and faithful to fulfill iii
promises. Is there such reward? Yes
and millions have attained it. Anon,
those Abraham is the greatest example
whose massive foundation and strength
stand exposed to view to i'm
press men of all ages. God said I,
him, Fear not, Abraham, am thy eX
ceeding great reward" In no othe
place in the Bible does God say wha
that reward is that is worthyof being as
pired TO, but here. He came out equivo
cally and stated that He Himself is tina
reward. 1t is to many mystical prop
osition: that the infinite God is TO be tn,
| reward of finite man. 1t is darin
thought. But what else is there? /
you ask the living church to-day, tn
bells from her spires and the melodiou
notes of the music within proclaim Hin
the only and all-satisfying reward. An,
He is only fitting reward; no one cal
snatch Him from the lowest, while dealt
only brings us to His presence, and tn
realization of all hoped for.
The speaker then discussed the natur
of the tie or condition by which man ma,
be said to possess God. He showed tina
the relations between the slave and hi
master, a son and his father, sister an,
brother. a citizen and his country, etc
could be rightly termed possession. Blu
the great secret of our possession of Go,
is having Him for our friend. Friend
| ship is all there is of excellent reality il
| the relations noted above. A slave la
often risen to he the valued friend of hi
master. Motherhood and sisterhood ar
good only so far as friendship permeate
them.
To be friend of God then is the grea
| reward. 1t implies communion and 9th
er intimate relations. No man can b
said to possess God who is not Il frien
of His, and in submission to Him; h
must commune with Him and seek onl
His glory. The ownership here implie,
is not literal, but scriptural, and canno
be described.
How could Abraham become such
friend of God? Through his faith; h
was the most faithful man of the pas
ages. Faith secures this reward becaus
of what it is. Faith is the capability 70
receiving the powers of q higher world
1t is the hospitality of the heart Hos
pitality is at the bottom of the friend
ship between God and man. The mise
and blgot never get their reward. Again
faith implies love. To be IN unbelieve
is simply TO hold that God does not Low,
you. Faith recognizes authority. Abra
ham, the great illustration of perfec
faith, showed this in his willingness {,
sacrifice Isaac. Faith, lastly, is tn,
highest reason of the soul. The faithful
man believes, though he may not be abb,
to prove. Faith has done all; unfaitl
nothing. Unbelief is the great cause O
lack of faith.
az am thy exceeding great reward.
Even intellectual rewards are beloy
what He offers. He has wrapped up il
the earth boundless riches; He has Civ
en- us minds; but He never intende,
that the pursuit of the one or the devel
opment of the other should overshadoy
His own excellence. Man is to be goo,
and moral, but he should remembe
that God is better than goodness itself
The reward of the heart is not human
righteousness.
God himself is what you want and no
mere gifts of intellect and heart. Civ,
Him possession and there will com,
those rewards which cannot be dimmed
Out of chaos will come marvellous TEN
pie at whose pearly gates shall be sun,
His praise, go, God thou art worthy {,
receive all glory for thou has created al
things"
The music for the service furnishe,
by the congregational choir, Mrs. Swami
Miss Hale, Messrs. Haynes and Wash
and rendered in excellent style.